Levin's RJ Licorice leads the way by ditching palm oil from all products

RJ's is ending all use of palm oil. Photo / Supplied

Levin-based confectionery brand RJ's is leading the way in the fight to get palm oil banned. It has announced this week that its products are now 100 per cent palm oil-free and said it has been working with its suppliers to ensure their products do not contain palm oil either.

No longer using palm oil is better for the environment and human health, the company said. Ditching it is not an easy task as palm oil is almost everywhere.

"Palm oil is in half of all supermarket products, from food to cleaners to cosmetics," said RJ's confectionery general manager Jason Clements. "This fact is hidden from the general public thanks to current New Zealand labelling laws, which allow palm oil to just be listed as vegetable oil.

Kiwi lolly lovers are asking manufacturers to do more to benefit the global environment. Photo / Supplied

"Here at RJ's, our new Mission Statement is 'Makes it Better' and going 100 per cent palm oil-free is an exciting step in our journey," he said.

"Ultimately, we are both manufacturers and consumers and we know that it is our consumption habits that are driving an increasing need for palm oil.

"If we can both educate and provide a better alternative – then it will hopefully make a small difference to what has become a large environmental problem.

"Very few New Zealand companies have made this step with both cost and complexity proving a barrier however we know it is important to our customers with our Kiwi lolly lovers asking us to do more.

"We're excited to share this first step in our sustainability journey with them. When consumers ask for better from businesses like ours, they can affect real change".

RJ's is hoping that this accomplishment will encourage other Kiwi companies to follow in their footsteps, and RJ's firmly believe going palm-oil free is a great step towards a better future for the planet.

Removing palm oil and its derivatives from RJ's' range of products was a journey in itself, he said.

RJ's says palm oil is hiding in plain sight as vegetable oil due to labelling laws. Photo / Supplied

Over the course of three years, the business reviewed all ingredients across their supply chain, and, after rigorous testing and trialling to ensure the RJ's products Kiwis know and love remained the same, decided that both coconut and rice bran oil were the best alternatives from an environmental perspective, as well as a quality and flavour one.

It has meant a few tweaks to the recipes though, but it is worth it.

To make way for palm oil plantations, rainforests in Southeast Asia are being cleared at an alarming rate, equivalent to around 300 rugby fields every hour, to keep up with the demand. This causes the loss of irreplaceable habitat, wildlife endangerment and enormous CO2 emissions.

From July 5, every single RJ's product made will be guaranteed 100 per cent palm-oil free.

These products will start to hit supermarket shelves through July, and while it will take a few months to phase out older products, customers can be confident that they are purchasing from a brand that is trying to make a difference, he said.

The change is not just for environmental or conservation reasons, human health also played a huge part in the company's decision to back away from palm oil.

Palm oil is high in saturated fat. One tablespoon of palm oil contains 55 per cent of the daily recommendation of saturated fat.

RJ's' stance on palm oil removes 100 tonnes of palm oil from the supply chain each year. Photo / Supplied

RJ's commitment to sustainability has removed 100 tonnes of palm oil annually from the supply chain. That is the equivalent of 38 rugby fields of deforestation, the company said.

In the past 10 years, the orangutan population has decreased by 50 per cent as a result of habitat loss from forest clearing for palm plantations, another compelling reason to stop using palm oil.